What’s New? In July 2021, EducationCounsel and New America published “A Toolkit for Effective and Supportive Transitions for Children, Families, and Educators.” This 2.0 toolkit includes two new sections: “Federal COVID Relief Dollars & How They Can Help Fund this Work” and “Takeaways from Our Work with States, Districts, and Communities.” It also includes new state and local examples; new discussions on the state of children, families, and educators; new resources; and other updates throughout.

Another school year has passed where children, families, and educators dealt with disruption and uncertainty because of COVID-19. Many families are stronger and more connected and parents are engaged in their children’s learning in a way they have not been before. Yet, while most students did return to in-person learning, school experiences did not return to normal.

Our youngest learners and their families and educators will feel the effects of the pandemic for years to come. For many, especially Black, Indigenous, and people of color and those in low-income communities, the pandemic has left lasting damage. And for many young children, the trauma, uncertainty, and loss they endured will last a lifetime. We now know the extent of some negative effects, including infants’ and toddlers’ language development and disrupted learning in the early grades.

Supportive and effective transitions from early childhood programs into kindergarten and the early grades will be crucial to begin to address these issues. Strong transitions set children up to succeed and get the supports they need in elementary school. States, school districts, center-based and family child care programs, Head Start programs, and the communities in which they are located must work together and thoughtfully connect children’s and families’ experiences across these years. Families and educators will need more support as they work to meet young children’s needs and help them thrive.

Transitions are rarely the direct responsibility of any one official. Leadership, vision, supportive policy, and careful planning are needed to ensure transitions remains a priority. Despite its importance, transitions are often overlooked or neglected and too often left to discrete activities leading up to the start of a new school year.

In order to ensure seamless transitions for children, families, and educators, state and local government officials must work to create enabling conditions for supportive and effective transitions. They must also align what children and families experience and how they experience it, as well as continuous improvement efforts.

The ongoing response to COVID-19—coupled with extended availability of resources, like American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds—provide an opportunity to enhance children’s transitions experience, reimagine and align learning environments in early childhood and elementary education, rethink how we value and support educators, and strengthen family and community engagement. It is up to states and local communities to make those changes by strengthening systems to support the prenatal through third grade (P–3) continuum.

This is an update to the original toolkit published July 22, 2021.

We consider the system of transitions in two main ways: (1) children’s transition from a home or community-based early childhood setting to the public-school setting of pre-K, kindergarten, or the early elementary grades; and (2) children’s transition in and out of different settings during COVID-19.

We take both a short-term and long-term view of strengthening transitions. There are immediate steps needed to strengthen children’s transitions this year and beyond. And this period of change and uncertainty presents a moment to reimagine children’s pre-K, kindergarten, and early grade experiences while also laying the foundation for improved, integrated systems across early care and education ECE and K–12.

While this toolkit focuses on what state and local officials should consider as they enact solutions, other interested parties play an important role in ensuring this work gets done. In coordination with early childhood groups, philanthropy, and advocates, officials should prioritize policies that improve outcomes for those who have suffered the most disruptions and harm. They should also be working to transform the ways children, families, caregivers, teachers, and other interested parties experience the transitions process.

In addition, state and local advocacy organizations can elevate under-recognized issues and those that need the most attention. They can also help connect decision-makers with educators and families. Philanthropy can help spur state and local innovation to find solutions to complex problems, make targeted investments for meaningful engagement with families and educators in policymaking and implementation, and help sectors collaborate on the best ways to enable children, families, educators, and communities to thrive. Those working in libraries, museums, and other community hubs provide educational, cultural, and recreational experiences and can be good partners for engaging families.

In the updated sections that follow, our team (1) delves into challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic that will impact future school years, and (2) provides state and local policy solutions.

In section 3, we explain the definitions and terms that we use throughout the toolkit.

In section 4, we discuss the state of children, schools, and educators in the United States and offer ideas for addressing the most pressing needs in your state and community.

In section 5, we offer a framework for state and local decision-makers and questions to consider. The nine areas in the framework will help leaders decide what is needed to create systems that enable effective and supportive transitions.

In section 6, we lay out a six-step process for addressing and prioritizing the needs uncovered by the framework questions in Section 5.

In section 7, we share takeaways from our 2021–22 work with state and local leaders on building systems that enable effective and supportive transitions policy and practice.

In section 8, we put forward policy ideas and provide implementation examples from states and communities.

Section 9 and section 10 highlight sources of funding that can be used to strengthen transitions, alignment, and coordination across the early learning continuum up through third grade.

The appendices provide additional resources to help you get started.

Definitions

• Dual language learners: A child, birth to age eight, who is in the process of learning English in addition to her or his native language(s).
• Early care and education (ECE): Nonparental care for children from birth to third grade that occurs outside of a child’s home.
• Early childhood educators: Adults who work for pay with young children from birth to third grade in roles focused on teaching and caregiving.
• Early childhood settings: The various settings in which ECE is delivered to young children, including Head Start, family and center-based child care programs, public schools, and community-based organizations.
• Equity: The idea, in the words of the National Equity Project, “that each child receives what they need to develop to their full potential.”
• Head Start: The federal program established in 1965 that provides high-quality early childhood education and health, nutrition, and family engagement and support services to Americans with children between three and five years old who are living in poverty.
• High-intensity transitions activities: Transitions activities that involve individualized contact with parents, encourage teacher communication between grades/settings, and/or occur before the first day of school.
• Low-intensity transitions activities: Transitions activities that do not involve individualized contact with parents or teachers and are often one-time activities.
• Meaningful family engagement: The participation of parents and educators in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication about student academic and social learning and other activities. Family choices and goals for the child are acknowledged and responded to with sensitivity and respect.
• Mixed-delivery system: ECE programs delivered in a variety of settings, including licensed centers, family child care homes, Head Start, public schools, and community-based organizations.
• Opportunity gap: The disparity in access to quality ECE programs, schools, and the resources needed for all children to thrive socially, developmentally, and academically.
• Pre-K: Educational programs designed to serve three- and four-year-olds that occur in a variety of settings
• Transitions: A multi-year, systemic strategy that includes actions at the state and local level to support the process of children moving from one grade level or school setting to another, such as moving from parental care to pre-K to kindergarten to first grade and so on. A key focus of the transitions process is ensuring that curriculum, instruction, and assessment are aligned.

Abbreviations

• ARP: American Rescue Plan
• B-3: Birth through third grade
• CARES: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act
• CCDBG: Child Care and Development Block Grant Act
• CCDF: Child Care Development Fund
• CRRSA: Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act
• ED: US Department of Education
• ESSA: Every Student Succeeds Act
• ESSER: Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund
• HHS: US Department of Health & Human Services
• IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
• IEP: Individualized Education Plan
• LEA: Local educational agency
• MIECHV: Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program
• MOU/MOA: Memorandum of understanding/memorandum of agreement
• P-3: Prenatal through third grade
• PD: Professional development or professional learning
• SEA: State educational agency
• TANF: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

More than two years out from the onset of COVID-19, public schools are left to navigate declining public school enrollment, particularly in the early grades; uncertainty around long-term funding to support school programs; and a politically charged environment, where public trust in educational systems and institutions is challenged. Education, as always, must be aimed at meeting the needs of children and families. These challenges come at a time when a demonstrated learning lag exists for incoming children, who display increased social and emotional fragility compared to children pre-pandemic.

How are these needs best met for young children transitioning into school? Simply continuing to operate schools as we did in 2019 would be a missed opportunity. The supports and structures designed for student success in the past were plagued with inequity, failed to meet the needs of individual children, and resulted in an ever-growing gap in achievement. If there were ever a time to rethink and enhance the public school experience for young children, it is now.

The pandemic has had a profound impact on enrollment. In 2020–21, public school enrollment fell by 3 percent compared to the previous year, marking the first enrollment decline since the start of this century. The declines were mostly concentrated in pre-K, which saw a 22 percent decrease on average, and kindergarten, which experienced a 9 percent dip. Pre-K and kindergarten (in many places) are not typically a required part of children’s schooling.

Pre-K enrollment varied across state programs, with declines ranging from 15 to 41 percent according to the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), which cites three main reasons for this drop: (1) lack of in-person options, (2) families concerned about the safety of in-person schooling, and (3) cuts in pre-K funding.

The enrollment loss in pre-K was quantified in NIEER’s most recent State of Preschool report, which said the pandemic erased “a decade of growth with a decline of more than 298,000 children in one year,” (p. 5) with the greatest negative impacts on preschoolers from families with low incomes and preschoolers of color. NIEER predicts a decade of catch-up: “even if states recuperate from losses due to the pandemic and return to prior enrollment growth rates, states are likely to enroll just 40 percent of 4-year-olds and 8 percent of 3-year-olds ten years from now,” (p. 5) conclude the authors of the report.

Enrollment is expected to rebound, but 2021–22 numbers reflect uncertainty about stable growth. In its examination of states that have released 2021–22 enrollment data, Bellwether Education Partners revealed that public schools have yet to see enrollment bounce back to their pre-pandemic levels. As an example, California experienced growth in its 2021–22 kindergarten enrollment class, but first-grade enrollment declined and overall K–12 enrollment fell by 1.8 percent from the prior year, when COVID-19 was at its peak.

Families have faced unprecedented challenges these last few years. In some cases, persisting drops in enrollment are due to family hesitancy to return, stemming from fear of COVID-19 spread, skepticism about public schools’ crisis management abilities, or a preference for virtual learning or homeschooling. For some Black families, in particular, after seeing the racial inequities and bias their children experienced in virtual classrooms, they chose to homeschool.

Because K–12 enrollment is tied to funding, school districts experiencing drops in enrollment also face funding instability. Some states waived enrollment-based cuts the last two school years, but that may not continue. Federal COVID relief dollars have helped, but some districts have hesitated to use funds for staffing and other ongoing needs and others have needed to use the federal funds to plug holes created by state cuts. In addition, inflation has made everything more expensive, so schools are having to stretch their already limited dollars even further. While the federal government has made significant funding available to schools, it hasn’t been so easy for schools to spend these dollars. And, many are trying to be strategic about how to use the funding through 2024, which is when dollars must be spent.

The pandemic has taken a toll on our youngest learners in many ways. It has shone a bright light on historical inequities. In an April 2022 study, McKinsey and Company reported that online learning left children, on average, four months behind in mathematics and reading before the 2021–22 school year. These findings were more pronounced in schools serving primarily Black children. Parents of Black and Latinx students also reported higher rates of concern about their students’ mental health and engagement in school. A research brief from Amplify, an assessment developer, showed reading losses were concentrated predominantly in kindergarten through second grades. And while schools worked to provide virtual instruction to dual language learners, data suggest that the reliance on remote learning inhibited the language development of many of these students. Special education students also suffered negative consequences as a result of online learning, with many forced to go months without the vital services to which they are entitled.

Children’s missed learning and lost learning weren’t just limited to academics. After periods of remote learning and limited interactions with peers, children are missing important fine motor skills such as cutting paper and tying shoes, as well as social and emotional skills such as taking turns, listening to peers, and exhibiting self-control. Children are also experiencing difficulty focusing during classwork and paying attention. A national survey of educators by Education Week found that 39 percent of respondents said that the social skills and emotional maturity levels of their current students are “much less advanced” than their pre-pandemic students.

Another effect of the pandemic is related to mental health. In spring 2021, according to a McKinsey report, one in three parents said they were very or extremely worried about their early elementary-aged child’s mental health, with rising reported levels of student anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, irrational fear, and lack of energy. Despite increased levels of concern among parents, there was a steep decline in the number of mental health assessments conducted for children compared to those conducted in 2019. Allowing student mental health issues to linger can negatively impact their quality of life, school attendance, and classwork.

Finally, chronic absenteeism is on the rise in the COVID era, a problem that leads to lower academic results, reduced emotional engagement, and a higher likelihood of dropping out of high school. Chronic absenteeism is typically defined as a child missing 10 percent or more of scheduled days in a school year. While national data are lacking, Education Week points to an analysis that documents a dramatic increase in chronic absenteeism, particularly in the elementary grades. More alarming, the number of students who missed half the school year, defined as extreme chronic absenteeism, is also increasing.

Staffing shortages are nothing new and tend to be where ECE educators are comparatively underpaid, but the pandemic has exacerbated the shortages. A federal survey conducted in December and January of 2021–22 found that nearly half of the public schools have teaching vacancies. A July 2021 survey of child care centers and homes conducted by the National Association for the Education of the Young Child found shortages in almost every state. Even before COVID, the United States faced a shortage of substitutes, but COVID certainly made things worse. When omicron hit, policymakers and education leaders took desperate measures to ensure that there was a pool of eligible substitutes. School district administrators dusted off their teaching certificates. Some states tried to entice state employees and police officers into schools. One governor called in National Guard members to volunteer.

There is an ongoing staffing issue in schools. Surveys over the last year have warned that many teachers plan to leave the classroom; as the next school year begins, teacher resignations are higher than in previous years. Educator well-being has taken a dive and work-related stress is on the rise. RAND researchers found teachers and principals alike reporting poor well-being during COVID.

Public education must confront new challenges in the court of public opinion as well. Educators are under immense pressure in today’s classrooms with openly hostile school board meetings, increasing questions about what is being taught and not taught in school and the appropriateness of books available to children, and policymaker concerns regarding instruction that supports children’s social, emotional, and cultural assets and needs.

Policymakers will need to consider numerous factors as they develop transitions plans this fall, revise them throughout the year, and strengthen them for the next year and beyond. The nine areas outlined below provide a framework for states and local leaders to create effective systems that enable effective and supportive transitions. Addressing the questions that follow (through the planning process described in section 6) can help guide policy development and create an opportunity for continuous improvement to ensure that the lessons of COVID-19 are embedded in policy and practice.

1. Prioritize investments for children furthest from opportunity

• How can states incentivize schools and districts to use transitions to advance equity through increased opportunities, removal of barriers, and distribution of support for children who are furthest from opportunity, including children from families with low incomes, children of color, and children experiencing homelessness?
• How can states support and incentivize schools and districts to prioritize the unique needs and assets of children with disabilities and dual language learners?
• Given the influx of federal dollars, how are you meeting the maintenance of equity provision to ensure this money is used equitably, on strategies to remove barriers, increase opportunity, and establish systems that appropriately meet young children’s needs?

2. Understand funding and enrollment needs

• What additional funding is needed to address the needs of young children and their families moving into pre-K, kindergarten, and early elementary classrooms?
• What other funding streams (including those targeted for COVID-19 relief) can be leveraged to support the needs of children moving into early elementary classrooms?
• How will you sustain the practices put in place with recovery dollars after relief and recovery funds are spent?
• How are children furthest from opportunity prioritized in state funding formulas and approaches?
• Are early care and education eligibility levels set to ensure enough children qualify for services?

3. Support educational and social and emotional needs

• How will educators accurately assess where children are academically, socially, and developmentally?
• How can educators be supported to ensure that children who need the most support are getting it?
• How can schools, programs, and communities better help teachers thrive?
• What are ways to support program alignment (e.g., curriculum, assessment, learning environments, teaching strategies) across child care, pre-K, and kindergarten?
• What tools, assessments, health information, and other data are needed to understand the needs, strengths, and assets of children entering school?
• How can local and state leaders encourage/incentivize sharing data across ECE settings and agencies to get a more comprehensive view of how children are doing?
• How will educators address gaps in grade-level expectations and where children are? How can different teaching approaches and learning environments be used to better promote children’s social, emotional, and learning growth?
• How can schools and districts collaborate with community-based programs and institutions (ECE, libraries, tutoring programs, community health centers, parks and recreation, etc.) to provide more comprehensive supports to children and families?

4. Design facilities, staffing, and schedules thoughtfully

• Will expanded facilities, staffing (teachers and paraprofessionals), and classroom or school schedules be needed?
• How will officials ensure that the community-based early education workforce is not negatively impacted by staffing changes in the public school system (i.e., community-based early educators leaving to work in public schools)?
• Do schools or districts need to increase investments in mental health consultants or other professionals equipped to support children and staff who have experienced trauma?
• If an LEA chooses to extend the school day or year, what are the implications for facilities, staff, and schedules?

5. Use data to drive decision-making

• Child-level data
  • What information is needed to enable educators to make adjustments at the school and classroom level to address individual child needs?
    • Developmental screeners
    • Formative assessments
    • Health assessments
    • Family questionnaires
• School-/classroom-/teacher-level data
  • What data sharing opportunities exist with social support staff? Transitions professionals? Home-visitors? Family support services?
  • What are school-level best practices for collecting, sharing, and using data to support transitioning children?
  • How are schools, early childhood practitioners, and communities understanding teacher and family experiences and needs and using that information to shape policy choices?
  • Do early childhood and K–12 educators have school-level systems to share data?
• District- and state-level data
  • What data do community-based organizations already collect? For what purposes? How might it be used to support transitions?
  • What are district- and state-level best practices for collecting, sharing, and using data to support transitioning children? Are strong security and privacy processes in place to ensure that data are safeguarded?
  • How are disaggregated data used to understand the experiences available to young children from varying races, linguistic backgrounds, income levels, genders, abilities, etc. prior to entering K–2? Can it be used to support professional development/system improvement opportunities in the B–5 space?
  • How are states understanding teacher and family experiences and needs and using that information to shape policy choices?
  • How can data be used to understand supports for young children and inform continuous improvement activities?
  • Does the state provide support for integrating data at the community level? Does the state integrate early childhood data in a way that can provide useful information to communities, to support transitions? Is that information then connected longitudinally to K–12 data?

6. Identify educator resources, opportunities, and supports

• With ongoing COVID-related challenges for teachers, what are the equity implications for classroom management and climate, instructional strategies, curricula assessment, learning environments, and professional learning?
• How will districts support teachers in classrooms with wider kindergarten readiness disparities, particularly in 2022?
• Are coaching and professional development appropriately geared towards the needs of educators working with young children?
• Are data collected and used effectively?
• What data are needed on school staff and teacher well-being to ensure they have access to support? How are districts and schools providing that support?

7. Incorporate family voice and creating opportunities for engagement

• What is needed for schools to build trust with all families, understand their needs, and include them more meaningfully as partners in student learning and development?
• How can school and district leaders partner with community-based institutions (including ECE programs) that have strong ties with families?
• What strategies could be used to understand families’ perspectives, engage them in school decisions such as budget priorities, and build stronger relationships?
• Are resources for families available in simple language, translated into multiple languages, and accessible to families who are unable to read them?
• Is there a plan to reconnect with families with which the school has lost contact?
• Do school districts ensure staff members have adequate time and resources to engage with families in a meaningful, way over the course of the year?
• Are there ways to leverage the deep engagement that parents played in their children’s education during the COVID-19 pandemic going forward?

8. Adopt a whole child approach

• What additional investments and resources are needed to address children’s social and emotional needs and physical development, build supportive relationships in the classroom and school, and establish partnerships with community organizations to meet families’ health and economic security needs?
• What guidance is needed at the state and local level to ensure that the full range of children’s needs are supported?
• How are teachers, caregivers, and other staff at the school and community programs supported to understand and respond to children’s needs?
• How can state and local agencies (including those for human services, health, public benefits, job training, and family support) work together to more effectively use funding and program supports to encourage healthy child development across the full range of developmental domains?

9. Include out-of-school time in planning

• What scheduling shifts, strategies, and additional investments are needed in the summer or after school to better support children and families and address individual learning needs?
• How can out-of-school programs be used to get resources to students who need individualized support?
• In what ways can districts form new partnerships to support children outside the classroom?
• How can schools and ECE programs collaborate with museums and libraries to provide programming for children and engagement opportunities for families? How can these places serve as additional learning spaces for children, families, and the ECE workforce?

Planning for the Future

In the spring of 2020, life changed dramatically for everyone. Businesses and workplaces closed, schools moved to virtual instruction, and child care and Head Start programs closed or reduced their capacity. Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers were too young to understand what was happening.

More than two years later, we still face uncertainties. For children under four, a significant chunk of their lives has been during this rocky time. Given what we know about the impact of stress on young children and the importance of trusted caregivers in mitigating this impact, it is critical that we enact and continuously improve policies supportive of the whole child, policies that strengthen family well-being and economic security and that elevate community needs and voices.

Our goal, though, should not be to return to normal, but instead to use this moment of crisis, the attention on early education, and the burst of federal recovery dollars, to transform ECE and K–12 education systems so they support effective transitions and set children up to thrive later in school and life.

When early learning experiences are connected from before birth and up through third grade, children and their families can more easily transition into pre-K, kindergarten, and the early elementary grades. Improving transitions for children and families requires careful planning, effective policies and practices, and sustainable funding. Educators can establish practices that put families more at ease, but the planning must begin well before the first day of school. On day one, teachers and schools should already have enough information to begin tailoring instruction, strategies, and environments to meet the needs of every student.

Children and families need activities that engage them early and provide them with information and comfort as they begin the school year. When enacting policy, state and local decision-makers and administrators must address the systems that support young children’s learning and development. Conditions must ensure consistent learning environments and experiences across settings and sectors before school, in kindergarten, and beyond.

Educators across the early learning continuum are key to making this happen, but so are state and local education officials, as they set policy goals to enable effective and supportive transitions. The work of states and school districts to align expectations, curricula, assessments, instructional strategies, accountability, family engagement, learning environments data, and professional learning may be less visible to children and families but is no less significant. In fact, these systems that enable the conditions for a strong and comprehensive P–3 continuum are the most critical for creating seamless transitions.

We propose six steps to establishing effective and supportive transitions policy at the state and local levels. Progressing through these steps must begin with a leader who is responsible for action and accountability for success. Too often the transition into kindergarten (as well as each grade thereafter) is no one individual’s responsibility or it is the responsibility of an individual without the authority to enact transformational change.

Identifying a transitions self-assessment tool and taking stock of current transitions activities at the state and local level is the place to start. A number of self-assessment tools exist for this purpose, such as New York’s transition effectiveness assessment tool. (New York’s tool was used to develop the self-assessment tool that we used with districts this year.) Results of the transitions self-assessment can provide an overview of current efforts as well as areas where more focused work is needed. This self-assessment should also include listening to families, prioritizing children and families who are furthest from opportunity, and tailoring investments to address structural inequities embedded in state and local systems.

Because the transitions process will be impacted by the lingering effects of the pandemic, transitions team members should also consider the state of children, families, and educators discussed in section 4 and answer the guiding questions posed in section 5 of this toolkit.

To ensure that children and families experience transitions that meet their needs, it is important for a range of interested parties to be involved in the policy design process. Policy must be grounded in the experiences of those who will be most affected by it. While classroom teachers play a crucial role in successful transitions, anyone who is in the life of a child, family, or teacher during these critical years of development can play a role in ensuring that families and educators have the information they need. Below is a list of those who might help design policy to deliver effective transitions:

The next step is creating plans for improvement. While policy change, support for policy implementation, or updated policy guidance is the goal, these things can take time. It’s also important to consider what can be accomplished in the short term. For instance, a state or district could opt to organize listening sessions to gather information and ideas from families and educators about the transition into kindergarten or to learn how current transitions resources are being used or not used.

The long-term plan should identify the policy changes needed to help strengthen what is happening in local communities. These policy changes may require legislative or regulatory action but might also be accomplished through guidance and collaboration with other state agencies or bodies. Local leaders, school districts, and community leaders can use what they learn from the transitions policies and practices in place at their schools, community ECE programs, and other community organizations to inform the policies needed to strengthen and build upon what is already happening.

State and local improvement plans should include three categories for policy action: (1) alignment, coordination, and collaboration; (2) transitions planning and direct support; and (3) guidance, evaluation, and resources. (See section 9 for an explanation of these categories.) These categories should be used as a guide to creating transitions that don’t just occur at a single point—the start of the school year—but foster ongoing relationship building, collaboration and coordination, and feedback loops to inform future iterations. These transitions policies support a comprehensive P–3 system that values access, child, family, and educator experiences, and outcomes.

Transitions plans should be reviewed by and strengthened with ideas and experiences from diverse parties, including parents, educators, and others across the early childhood, K–12, health, and family well-being communities.

A core component of transitions team success is establishing shared baselines for ideas and initiatives generated through the planning process. In fact, an early step in kickoff meetings of state and local transitions teams is creating a tool or framework for analyzing proposals for policy change. Teams should work together to select the handful of cost and expected benefit metrics that any proposal must pass to move forward. Because costs and benefits can be diffused among a range of stakeholders, it also can be a tool for bringing diverse interest groups together under a shared set of goals.

Implementation of individual policies should be agreed upon by relevant team members and interested parties. They can also be connected to the broader systems in place for supporting young children and their families. This requires planning that accounts for, addresses, and optimizes the existing capacity and responsibilities of school districts and community partners. Planning should also consider funding streams already in place that could be repurposed or expanded to support transitions. Just as transitions teams develop a common framework for choosing which policies to evaluate, they should also map out how selected activities serve children. See section 8 of this toolkit for policy ideas and sections 9 and 10 for a comprehensive list of potential funding streams.

The timeline for implementing transitions activities will vary depending on the needs and priorities identified at the local level as well as the current availability of funds, future opportunities for additional funds, and the current capacity of staff. It should be nimble enough to respond quickly to new funding opportunities, information revealed from data and evaluation, and other local challenges. At the state level, timelines should be more rigid, so that local transitions teams are aware of deadlines for reporting information to state agencies, applying for grant funds, and so on.

To ensure that work plans of transitions teams at all levels are clear and actionable, anticipated time frames for development, implementation, and evaluation should be embedded throughout. Timelines should be developed with clear leaders of work streams, ensuring that team members are aware of and know who is responsible for the many moving components of implementation. It is also important to approach both the planning and implementation of transitions activities as a consistent, ongoing, and cyclical process. During any month of the year, teams can be working to revise or update plans, publish and review data, or implement activities.

Regular assessment and evaluation of state and local transitions policies is a critical step for ensuring that initiatives remain timely and effective. Work plans should be developed with evaluation and data collection in mind.

Preparing for policy to be evaluated should at least include a review of existing data reporting and collection systems as a component of the self-assessment completed in step 1, but it should also consider plans for studying and updating policies based on findings.

As initiatives are implemented and policies are changed, transitions teams can partner with state and local accountability and research staff at early childhood and K–12 agencies for technical assistance with evaluation. Consistent with the tenets of implementation science, evaluating an initiative involves constant evaluation and mechanisms for continuous quality improvement that allow for nimble adjustments to increase effectiveness more quickly. Researchers can leverage data from existing systems of evaluation to understand how cohorts of children participating in transitions activities performed compared to their peers. They can also administer pre- and post-surveys or other methods of evaluation to parents, children, and teachers to understand how transitions planning influences family engagement, teacher satisfaction, and other goals outside the realm of traditional accountability systems. Data should be disaggregated by race, gender, primary language, and socioeconomic and disability status to ensure disparities in access or outcomes are identified.

The transitions team should also include a way to ensure that research or trends in one community inform efforts in other communities. State education agencies play a critical role in convening school districts and localities, especially through gathering and clearly displaying data in statewide longitudinal data systems. Such information-sharing post-implementation help ensure that new activities and policies for future kindergarten cohorts can be adjusted.

In fall 2021, our team began working with three states and three school districts to strengthen their transitions policies and practices. Since then we have been working through the six steps in the previous section using the tools in the appendices.

1. Engage the community. The transitions team should consider including families, pre-K providers, kindergarten teachers, school leaders, district leaders, and other community members. If some constituents are not able to participate, include them in roundtable discussions or gather their thoughts in a focus group setting or survey. Each community member cares deeply about their children and wants to provide the best possible setting for them to transition in school.

   Considerations for specific parties:
   • Policymakers and advocates: Child care providers, pre-K teachers, Head Start teachers, kindergarten educators, and families have the best insight into how strong transitions are helpful for students. Ask them for their stories and create opportunities for them to engage in the process.
   • New to this work: Consider hosting different roundtable discussions or events that will invite diverse parties into the conversation.

2. Center equity. The pandemic has disproportionately impacted people with low incomes and communities of color. Our youngest learners are at the forefront of our nation’s growing racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity, and they are coming to elementary school with a wider array of experiences and early childhood environments than ever before. Our early childhood workforce—which is grossly underpaid and largely made up of women of color—has also been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Historical inequities for educators and the families they serve call for change. Using equity-focused tools, like this example from the Washington State Board of Education, must be the foundation of this work as we seek new ways forward.

   Considerations for specific parties:
   • Policymakers: Continuously check that proposed policies reach families furthest from opportunity and support early childhood educators. Seek policies that support restorative practices and remove current barriers.
   • Advocates and those new to the work: Use your knowledge of and relationships within your community to ensure that individuals from all backgrounds are represented on your transitions team.

3. Establish a path to decision-making. Having leaders who can drive change is pivotal to building processes across a state or district. The transitions team should assess what policies and practices it has the power to influence and should identify a path to reaching leadership, which can influence further change. The team should also determine where this work will be stored, as transitions work often involves multiple agencies or offices.

   Considerations for specific parties:
   • Policymakers: Know which agencies, offices, and teams control different aspects of the transitions process.
   • Advocates: Determine which policy and practice levers need to be pulled and involve people who have the power to pull them.
   • New to this work: Involve a range of individuals in the policy design process and identify how team members can influence different aspects of the work.

4. Evaluate leader capacity. Strengthening transitions requires ongoing effort across the state, in the district, and in the school building that goes far beyond back-to-school activities at the start of the school year. Transitions teams must set aside the time and resources to understand strengths and gaps in their current practices and make changes throughout the calendar year. For longer-term impact, these teams can also consider a policy agenda that strengthens practices and identifies potential champions to help move it forward.

   Considerations for specific parties:
   • New to this work: Understand what types of practices can strengthen transitions and set realistic expectations about the time commitment required to meet year-round transitions goals.

5. Plan for long-term funding. Efforts to strengthen the transition to kindergarten benefit from ongoing investment. While the transition into kindergarten is often viewed as something that can be supported at critical moments, such as the summer and early fall, effective transitions teams plan beyond this once-a-year prioritization and create long-term systems. Whether a team decides to pursue summer programming for rising kindergarteners, ongoing family engagement strategies, staffing changes, or professional development opportunities, this work requires dedicated funding.

   Considerations for specific parties:
   • Policymakers: Policy and funding for transitions do not need to stand on their own; they can be incorporated into relevant K–12 and ECE proposals.
   • Advocates: Make recurring funding for transition into kindergarten part of K–12 and ECE priorities.
   • New to this work: Identify which tasks can be easily and quickly fulfilled with existing resources and which will require longer-term effort/capacity and investment.

6. Align transitions work with current priorities. This work must start with the team establishing a firm understanding of what efforts are currently underway so it can determine a realistic starting point. An understanding of current practices should inform transitions goals, ensuring that they fit within state and/or district priorities and can leverage ongoing initiatives. The COVID era has brought about competing priorities with limited resources. Supporting a smooth entrance to kindergarten should be a practice that coincides with other priorities, rather than becoming an additional burden on educators.

   Considerations for specific parties:
   • Policymakers: Make sure the transition into kindergarten is considered when focusing on reaching more children, training and recruiting more staff members, and creating stronger family and community relationships.
   • Advocates: Look for areas of potential overlap between transitions activities and other requirements.
   • New to this work: Remember that effective transitions can be woven into many other priorities and activities; they do not need to be separate.

7. Create buy-in. Some relevant stakeholders (parents, educators, administrators, etc.) may lack understanding of their larger community or might not understand how transitions impacts their work. Within one district there may be a mix of reluctance to participate in the work and an eager willingness to make use of resources and invest in relationships. Barriers to progress may be high in some communities, especially because issues like pre-K expansion, educational equity, and even social-emotional learning have become increasingly politicized. Tying the positive effects of effective transitions to less contentious areas of policy can help reduce some of these barriers.

   Considerations for specific parties:
   • New to this work: Help ensure program leaders and educators understand the importance of transitions, what developmentally appropriate practice looks like for young learners, what challenges the community is facing, and how a focus on transitions can address some of those challenges. Take time to understand how interested parties, including practitioners and parents, are viewing different issues. Focus groups, interviews, and surveys are all useful tools.

8. Address educator capacity. Many pre-K and kindergarten teachers and program administrators know the importance of healthy and positive transitions practices through their day-to-day interactions with families, but practitioners may not all be on the same page about the effort required to ensure smooth transitions for each child. The transitions team must determine where gaps and barriers in background knowledge may exist. If an elementary school principal does not have training in or knowledge about early childhood education and developmentally appropriate practice, getting buy-in will be an essential step to making transitions a priority. Buy-in must go beyond enthusiasm and commitment from district-level leadership. Professionals at the school and classroom level must see the work as a worthwhile investment of their time. Opportunities for training and professional development related to transitions can create the space for educators to become consistent in their practices.

   Considerations for specific parties:
   • Policymakers: The transition to kindergarten is one part, but a crucial one, in the early childhood ecosystem. Use the transitions work and research that shows healthy transitions lead to greater academic and social-emotional growth in later grades.
   • New to this work: Reach out to different district and community offices to learn about the expertise they can lend to your team. Think about the best person to invite community members into the work.

9. Find political allies. As the team works to ensure that transitions remain a vital priority in ECE work, it will likely need support from key political players like school board members, city council members, mayors, or other local politicians. Political leaders have a wide reach and can provide visibility for the importance of transitions practices in ECE.

   Considerations for specific parties:
   • Policymakers: Find ways for transitions practices to be highlighted across multiple areas of policy, including education and health care priorities.
   • Advocates: Work to establish relationships with local policymakers. Provide them with relevant talking points so they can help spread the word about the importance of kindergarten transitions and what resources are available to families.
   • New to this work: Learn about your local politicians and vote for champions of early childhood education.

These policy ideas are organized by state and localities and grouped into themes:

• Alignment, coordination, and collaboration
• Transitions planning and technical assistance
• Guidance, evaluation, and resources

We use these themes to organize the policies most important for transforming how children enter pre-K and kindergarten and move through the early grades. As we begin to move beyond the global COVID-19 pandemic, these considerations should take precedence in the next three to five years to meet children’s immediate needs:

• Prioritize investment, planning, and guidance to address pressing needs for the state or local community (see section 5 for more) and in response to the guiding questions (see section 6 for more).
• Center equity, distribute funding equitably to communities most affected by COVID-19, and engage local community leaders and diverse parties (see section 7 for more) in determining unmet needs and planning for how funds should be spent.
• Work across offices and agencies to support children and their parents or guardians and to strengthen family economic recovery and security.
• Provide meaningful family engagement opportunities where parents and other caregivers are invited to partner in their child’s learning.
• Make a case for how this work aligns with and even bolsters other priorities and find state and local champions who will commit to moving it forward and allocate funds.
• Plan funding that would sustain strategies after federal relief funds run out.

Both state and local leaders can lead on transitions and alignment efforts. ESSA requires LEAs to form coordination agreements with Head Start programs. It also applies this requirement to coordination with other early childhood programs, if feasible. The federal law specifies the areas which these agreements must cover at a minimum: data and record sharing; joint professional development; staff communication; parent-teacher connections; and educational services. Although it is LEAs that must establish these agreements, states can facilitate, educate, and encourage LEAs to do so. States can also provide oversight by holding LEAs accountable if they don’t develop the agreements.

Alignment, Coordination, and Collaboration

• Identify an office at the state level that has responsibility for transitions. (Possible funding: PDG B–5, ESSA, Head Start, K–12 funding formulas, state pre-K dollars)
• Establish an interagency working group to guide state-level transitions efforts. (Possible funding: ESSA, Head Start, state pre-K dollars)
• Work with county/community agencies to streamline the registration process between federal Head Start and state and local pre-K programs. (Possible funding: ESSA, Head Start)
• Remove barriers and provide incentives for establishing data-sharing agreements across early care and education, elementary schools, child welfare, and health systems. (Possible funding: PDG B–5, ESSA, CCDBG, Head Start, IDEA, state pre-K dollars, other state agency funding)
• Fund cross-grade, cross-sector ongoing professional development opportunities that are focused on post-COVID needs: social and emotional learning, trauma-informed practices, accelerated learning, and developmentally appropriate practice. (Possible funding: ESSER, ESSA Title I and II, Head Start, state pre-K dollars)
• Provide resources to bring together school leaders and licensed child care centers and family child care homes. Encourage virtual or in-person joint professional learning opportunities, meet-and-greet activities, participation on planning councils, and coordination of activities as part of funding applications. (Possible funding: ESSA Title I and II, CCDBG, PDG B–5, state pre-K dollars, K–12 funding formulas)
• Share data across early childhood and elementary school settings. (Possible funding: PDG B–5, Head Start, CCDBG, ESSA Title I, state pre-K dollars, K–12 funding formulas)
• Pass legislation to require kindergarten for all children, require districts to provide kindergarten for the same length of time as first grade, and fund it at least at the same level as first grade. (Possible funding: state dollars with a boost from ARP, ESSA)

State Examples

• Illinois established a Kindergarten Transition Advisory Committee to review kindergarten transitions in the state and make recommendations for improvement. The committee was made up of lawmakers, state agency personnel, educators, administrators, and advocates.
• Oregon's Early Learning Kindergarten Readiness Partnership and Innovation grant program (KRPI) was designed to establish models for P–3 alignment at the local level, with a focus on shared professional development for early learning providers and kindergarten teachers. The grants have enabled hundreds of educators to participate in cross-grade, cross-sector PD, with a focus on understanding the experiences and expectations of children in pre-K and kindergarten.
• Washington is promoting early learning collaboration between elementary schools and child care providers, through a partnership with Child Care Aware of Washington. Principals can fill out a data request form to receive a list of local child care providers and connect with Child Care Aware regional offices. The regional offices provide follow-up services and resources to build collaboration between local child care providers and elementary schools.
• West Virginia requires all districts to offer a full-day kindergarten program that is equivalent in length of day to first grade. Kindergarten programs are funded through the same funding formula used for first grade through 12th grade.
• North Carolina requires child data sharing between preschool teachers, and either kindergarten teachers or the schools that receive the incoming kindergarten students. Further, child data must be shared between preschool teachers and the parents or guardians of the child who is transitioning to kindergarten. See Section 12B.5.(d) of Session Law 2016-94 for details.

Transitions Planning and Technical Assistance

• Include transitions activities—such as detailed community-wide plans, connections with community providers, and review and use of data—in monitoring protocols used by the state department of education. (Possible funding: Head Start, ESSA, Title I, CCDBG, state pre-K dollars)
• Establish a grant program to encourage districts to develop local plans to prioritize transitions and alignment activities. This is one way to encourage LEAs and local communities to work together on a key state priority, to learn what works and what does not and for whom, and to develop a plan for sharing and expanding successful strategies across the state. A grant program like this could also be used to focus on prioritizing equity in transitions and alignment planning and activities. (Possible funding: ESSA Title I, Title II if focused on educators, CCDBG quality funds, state pre-K dollars)
• Require LEAs to develop district transitions strategies with the participation of parties that include representatives from Head Start and other early childhood programs, teachers, parents, representatives from relevant district offices, and principals. These strategies should pay attention to populations such as children with disabilities, children from low-income families, children in tribal communities, homeless children, and dual language learners. (Possible funding: Head Start, ESSA Title I, McKinney-Vento, state pre-K dollars)

State Examples

• The Nevada Department of Education has brought together groups of early childhood professionals to create developmentally appropriate (DAP) kindergarten cohorts. Funded through federal programs, the DAP cohorts work together to vertically align developmentally appropriate curriculum, instruction, and assessment that’s being implemented in high-quality pre-K programs.
• In North Carolina’s MOU guidance, LEAs must confirm that a set of activities has been addressed in the agreement. These include data sharing, coordination, and transitions—all of which are important for effective and supportive transitions.
• The Oregon state legislature established and funded the Early Learning Kindergarten Readiness Partnership and Innovation grant program (KRPI). This program included four priorities, one of which is focused on transitions and another on increasing alignment, connection, and collaboration.
• In West Virginia, counties are required to establish transitions teams that develop local plans. These teams must include a set of diverse parties. There is a similar structure at the state level.
• The District of Columbia’s Office of the State Superintendent has created an MOA that is designed to be used with school districts, Head Start programs, and other early childhood programs. It lays out plans for coordination and collaboration in data sharing, communication, family engagement, joint professional development, and standards, curriculum, and instruction.

Guidance, Evaluation, and Resources

• Develop guidance for LEAs and schools to strengthen transitions efforts and deepen alignment, coordination, and collaboration across the PreK–3 and even B–3 continuum. States can foster opportunities for these diverse early learning leaders to come together for joint professional development and discussions of how to better connect pre-K, kindergarten, and the early elementary grades. (Possible funding: CCDBG, ESSA, state pre-K dollars, IDEA)
• Gather information on models of effective transitions practices (with special attention to immigrant families, dual language learners, children from low-income families, children with disabilities, and children in tribal communities) at the local level that can be shared with school and community leaders across the state. (Possible funding: ESSA, PDG B–5, Head Start, CCDBG, IDEA, ESSER, state pre-K dollars)
• Include transitions policies and activities in state-level planning committees, such as a state early learning council. (Possible funding: PDG B–5, CCDBG, ESSA, state pre-K dollars)
• Develop state professional learning modules for teachers, child care providers, and school leaders that include specific activities that support transitions with a focus on equity concerns, implicit bias, and effective and authentic family engagement practices. (Possible funding: ESSA Title I and II, CCDBG, Head Start, state pre-K dollars)

State Examples

• In Connecticut, the State Department of Education and the Office of Early Childhood convened a PreK to Kindergarten Transition Workgroup, which created a guidance document detailing how districts and school leaders can implement successful transitions. It includes information on coordinating professional development across settings, meaningfully partnering with families, leveraging existing resources, and improving communication across settings and with families.
• Kentucky’s Early Childhood Advisory Council included developing an early childhood transitions framework as a key goal in the state’s Early Childhood Strategic Plan. The transitions framework is meant to improve children’s and families’ experiences transitioning from one early childhood setting to another, across the B–3 continuum.
• Alabama has recently released a Transition to Kindergarten Toolkit designed for both parents and educators. The toolkit includes a planning guide to help schools think strategically about easing the transitions into kindergarten, sample child information forms to assist educators in gathering data on incoming kindergartners, and a variety of other resources that explain the rationale for focusing on a smooth school transition.
• Wyoming created a framework/continuum to direct its current work, which includes supporting five community grantees and pilots. It is building out supports for families, educators, programs, and communities who are not grantees in order to engage in their conversations about transitions. Leaders of this work have found that strengthening coordination and partnerships is the first step. This is because transitions work requires:
• relationships that are equal and valued;
• recognition that transitions are about change (children are navigating their worlds and there is constant change as they build out resilience and healthy brain infrastructure); and
• aligned vision, expectations, and practice.
  
• Colorado’s Office of Early Childhood and the CDE Preschool through Third Grade Office worked with the National P–3 Center to create “The Transitions to Kindergarten in Colorado: A Roadmap” and other resources.

Several other states have developed transitions toolkits and resources as well:

• Supporting the Transition to Kindergarten in Nevada
• Nebraska Transition to Kindergarten Toolkit and Resource Guide
• Maine Transitioning into Kindergarten—Professional Development Modules
• Mississippi Transition Toolkit for Families and Early Learning Providers
• South Carolina Pre-K to Kindergarten Transitions Plan: Family Engagement
• Kansas Kindergarten Transitions Toolkit

Alignment, Coordination, and Collaboration

• Go beyond the ESSA requirement to establish agreements with Head Start programs and extend agreements to other early childhood programs serving children likely to attend district schools. The ESSA requirement (Section 1119), in fact, requires such agreements with other early childhood programs, if feasible. These agreements should include elements such as data sharing and joint professional development and plans to align curricula, teaching strategies, discipline practices, family engagement strategies, and ways to meet community needs. The Head Start Act also requires coordination with school districts on these and other transitions points, including addressing facilities and transportation issues. (Possible funding streams: ESSA, ESSER, IDEA, Head Start Act, state and local pre-K dollars, local philanthropy, local property taxes)
• Create opportunities to build elementary school principal knowledge of early childhood education and how to support PreK–3 teachers. (Possible funding: ESSA Title II, ESSER, CCDBG, Head Start, state and local pre-K dollars, local philanthropy, local municipalities)
• Get to know organizations supporting Head Start and other early childhood programs, and come up with strategies for connecting principals, program administrators, and teachers to build relationships across pre-K and the early grades of elementary school. This should become a two-way learning opportunity. School districts could also work with regional child care referral offices to establish processes for connecting schools and early education programs. (Possible funding: ESSER, ESSA, Head Start, state and local pre-K dollars, local property taxes, local philanthropy, local municipalities)
• Take steps to ensure children are able to transitions into kindergarten at the elementary school parents have chosen for pre-K. Work to establish feeder relationships and agreements with other community-based pre-K programs within a school’s attendance zone. (Possible funding: ESSA, ESSER, Head Start, state and local pre-K dollars)

Transitions Planning and Technical Assistance

• Develop strategies to encourage collaboration across pre-K, kindergarten, and the early elementary grades to share information and data, and to align discipline approaches, instruction, environments, curricula, and other areas as needed. (Possible funding: ESSA, ESSER, CCDBG, Head Start, IDEA, state and local pre-K dollars, state K–12 funding formulas, local property taxes)
• Establish community transitions teams with working groups to identify areas of need. Ensure that members of underserved populations are included and compensated for their time. (Possible funding: ESSA, ESSER, Head Start, state and local pre-K dollars, state K–12 funding formulas, local property taxes, local municipalities, local philanthropy)
• Provide joint professional development on aligning routines and expectations for pre-K, kindergarten, and early elementary teachers. (Possible funding: ESSA, ESSER, CCDBG, Head Start, IDEA, state and local pre-K dollars, state K–12 funding formulas, local property taxes)

Guidance, Evaluation, and Resources

• Direct funds to ensure there is an ECE-trained paraprofessional/assistant teacher in each kindergarten and first-grade classroom. (Possible funding: ESSA, ESSER, state K–12 funding formulas, local property taxes)
• Provide bonuses/stipends for kindergarten teachers who engage in home visits. (Possible funding: ESSA, ESSER, state K–12 funding formulas, local property taxes, local municipalities, local philanthropy)
• Provide grants to child care providers to implement innovative curriculum around kindergarten expectations. (Possible funding: ESSA, ESSER, CCDBG, Head Start, local municipalities, local philanthropy)
• Gather information from families about children’s previous ECE experiences on enrollment and registration forms. (Possible funding: ESSA, ESSER, CCDBG, IDEA, McKinney-Vento)
• Provide incentives for information sharing and collaboration between child care centers and schools. (Possible funding: ESSA, ESSER, CCDBG, Head Start, local property taxes, local municipalities, local philanthropy)
• Develop guidance for schools to strengthen transitions efforts and deepen alignment, coordination, and collaboration across the PreK–3 and even B–3 continuum. Localities can foster opportunities for these diverse early learning leaders to come together for joint professional development and discussions of how to better connect pre-K, kindergarten, and the early elementary grades. (Possible funding: ESSA, ESSER, IDEA, Head Start, state and local pre-K dollars)

Local Examples

• In San Antonio, TX the Pre-K 4 SA program provides professional learning grants for elementary school principals to participate in the New Teacher Center’s (NTC) Early Learning Leadership Program, a year-long training and coaching initiative to help elementary school leaders better understand early childhood systems and pedagogy.
• The Brunswick, MO R-II School District will create opportunities to improve coordination between and across early childhood and early elementary grades by establishing data teams that include a preschool teacher, kindergarten teacher, Title I reading teacher, federal programs representative, school counselor, an administrator, and parents. The plan requires teams to meet throughout the year to analyze data and help design transitions plans.
• Portland Public Schools in Maine offers pre-K classrooms in both public school buildings and in partnership sites, with a goal of identifying a slot for every child that enters the pre-K lottery.
• The Ready Freddy program, an initiative between Pittsburgh Public Schools and the University of Pittsburgh, provides technical assistance and resources to local transitions teams to help prepare children, parents, and schools for the start of kindergarten. Teams supported by Ready Freddy assist with enrollment and transitions activities and are made up of kindergarten teachers, early childhood educators, principals, community agencies, and parents.
• Atlanta, Georgia has created a citywide alliance (PAACT: Promise All Atlanta Children Thrive) that brings together leaders from both public and private sectors to support high-quality early learning. Members of this group include Atlanta Public Schools, which has established grant funds for schools and providers to support students transitioning into kindergarten; the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students, which funds Atlanta Early Education Ambassadors to lead pre-K recruitment and early learning advocacy in targeted communities across the city; and more.
• Washoe County, Nevada has used Early Childhood Advisory Council funding to bring together leaders and educators from district kindergarten classrooms and community-based pre-K programs to work toward aligning teaching practices and student routines.

In March of 2021, Congress allocated additional funds to address the challenges facing public education in light of the pandemic. With the signing of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) came an unprecedented $122 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund (known as ESSER III). Like previous ESSER investments, these funds were provided to state educational agencies and school districts to address safe school reopening and mitigate the impact of the pandemic on students. In order to access the ESSER funds, states had to submit an application describing their plans for evidence-based interventions to address learning loss, as well as the academic, social, and emotional needs of students, with a particular emphasis on addressing the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on students of color.

All 50 states, plus DC and Puerto Rico, had their state plans approved by the US Department of Education by the end of December 2021. States have until late 2024 to properly obligate and use their ESSER III funds. However, given the myriad of issues affecting fund expenditure in 2022, ED will now consider requests from school districts for an 18-month extension on spending these funds (right now) for infrastructure projects beyond the earlier September 30, 2024 deadline.

ESSER III funds can be used for early childhood education. For example, the funds can be used to prevent staff layoffs or service cuts in Head Start, state-funded pre-K programs, and child care programs that are operated by LEAs. In October of 2021, we laid out possible ways to leverage this funding specifically in support of effective early childhood transitions.

While its analysis was not focused on early childhood education, a recent report from FutureEd offers perhaps the best information yet on how school districts are planning to spend their portion of ARP funds. FutureEd analyzed spending plans submitted by more than 4,100 LEAs serving about 68 percent of the country’s public school students and receiving $77 billion in ESSER III funding. The analysis reveals that the current highest priority for districts using the funds is hiring or rewarding teachers, academic specialists, or guidance counselors. About 60 percent of the districts are planning to spend funds in this manner, though it’s unclear whether that money will go towards hiring new staff or rewarding existing staff. Approximately two-fifths of districts will spend funds on staff professional development.

Another popular use of the funds is improving school ventilation, with over half of districts planning to improve ventilation and upgrade their heating and air conditioning systems in an effort to reduce the chances of COVID exposure.

Schools are also working to effectively respond to a youth mental health crisis: over 1,400 districts plan to use ESSER funds on social-emotional materials, training, and programs.

States and districts have the opportunity to make historic investments in early childhood education, too. According to the analysis by FutureEd, nearly 60 percent of school districts and charter schools plan to use a portion of their funding on summer learning or after-school activities. Some larger districts (including Chicago, San Diego, and Hawaii) expressly state that their summer learning programs support transitions—notably, in kindergarten and other early elementary years.

In Massachusetts, summer learning opportunities aim to tackle the loss of both academic and social-emotional learning for students of all ages. For the youngest students entering kindergarten, first grade, and second grade (two cohorts also drastically impacted by out of school time during the pandemic) millions of dollars are being dedicated to targeted literacy academies that provide young learners with opportunities to both learn and socialize with peers. Another Massachusetts summer program, Summer Step Up, directs the use of ESSER funds toward solving dipping enrollment rates by identifying families with young children in the early grades that were eligible to enroll in Massachusetts public schools in the 2020–21 school year but who may have opted out of school district services.

South Carolina’s state ESSER plan provides an express focus on early learning by dedicating funds for training and instructional materials in schools where one-third or more of third graders struggled on 2019 statewide reading and math assessments. The state plan also lays out a partnership with SC First Steps, a program that supports students transitioning into pre-K and kindergarten by engaging parents, focusing on teacher recruitment and retention, and identifying children with special needs early.

Hawaii is also using these funds to address special needs in early learners, by focusing on teaching the behaviors that may be a challenge for young children with little to no school experience as they enter kindergarten.

In North Dakota, ESSER funds are being used to fund high-quality pre-K classrooms for four-year-olds through grants that are available to public, private, and religious child care providers, indicating an emphasis on providing early learning opportunities through a mixed-delivery system. The state is also dedicating funds so an additional 800 preschool-aged children can participate in the Waterford Upstart program, which will provide online early literacy lessons to the most rurally located children and give them opportunities to begin learning prior to the start of kindergarten.

Some states are using additional funds on programs to provide targeted support and early intervention for children with special needs and dual language learners to set them up for success as they transition into the K–12 system. Below are two examples:

The jump from pre-K settings into kindergarten can be tough under the best of circumstances. Two years into COVID-19, the need for effective and supportive transitions is even greater. As LEAs grapple with the many competing crises exacerbated by the pandemic, it is good that this relief funding can be spread out over time as they meaningfully engage in this work.

There are numerous federal funding streams that can be used to support transitions activities. States and localities can coordinate different streams to meet goals for supportive and effective transitions. These funds can be blended and braided to create and sustain programs established with ESSER funds and to strengthen systems with the enabling conditions needed for effective and supportive transitions in broader P–3 initiatives.

• ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act): Administered by the ED, ESSA was signed into law December 2015 and governs K–12 public education policy. ESSA includes attention to children’s transition from pre-K to K. SEAs and LEAs can use Title I and Title II dollars to support transitions, which can include joint professional training activities for pre-K and early elementary educators. LEAs must develop a MOU with Head Start programs to, among other things, support smooth transitions. LEAs using Title I funds for pre-K must describe how they will coordinate a transitions plan with those programs. They are also required to include other early childhood education programs in such MOUs with LEAs, if feasible, which could include those offered in a variety of settings.

  ED’s 2016 non-regulatory early learning guidance suggests possible transitions activities such as sharing assessment data, offering summer learning opportunities, engaging families, and providing joint professional development opportunities. ED’s guidance also elevates the recurring themes in ESSA of alignment, collaboration, and coordination and points to vertical alignment up through third grade as one way to meet these goals. Vertical alignment means linking pre-K and K–12 data and coordinating standards, curricula, instruction, assessment, expectations, and classroom strategies, which can ease the transition for children and families. (Also see guidance in “Using Every Student Succeeds Act: Funding for Early Childhood Education.”)

• The Preschool Development Grant Birth-to-Five (PDG B–5) program, which was established through ESSA, is focused on strengthening states’ integrated ECE systems to prepare children for kindergarten. States are encouraged to build relationships across early childhood programs and improve transitions into kindergarten. Recent applications have encouraged states to assess their current transitions practices and needs.
• Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG): CCDBG is administered by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), and funds states, territories, and tribal entities to create child care subsidy programs for low-income families with children under age 13. States have significant discretion in CCDBG implementation. They must explain how they will coordinate with other early childhood programs. They can leverage CCDBG dollars to bring educators together for planning and training purposes. Through dollars required to be set aside for quality, states can fund training as well as other activities they deem necessary to improve outcomes for children entering kindergarten.
• Head Start ACT: Administered by HHS, Head Start includes a section dedicated to transitions and alignment with K–12 education as well as several other mentions of transition. Funding can be used for training with both Head Start and school staff to smooth transitions, and programs are encouraged to think about all areas of transition for children and their families, as well as for partners. Funding can be used to promote family involvement in school once children are in kindergarten by preparing families for elementary school expectations. Head Start programs are also required to establish MOUs with local school districts. The National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning has developed guidance to improve the quality and content of transitions at the district level.
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Administered by ED, IDEA emphasizes smoothing transitions from early intervention to special education preschool to K–12 special and general education. IDEA Part C provides early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. IDEA Part B provides special education and related services to children and youth ages three through 21. Under Title I of ESSA, SEAs must coordinate with other programs and provisions providing services to young children, including IDEA. States must also provide parents with guidance to help with transitions.
• Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV): Administered by HHS, MIECHV supports states, territories, and nonprofit organizations in implementing evidence-based home visiting programs. Home visiting programs support the transition into parenthood and may serve families until their children enter kindergarten. MIECHV connects parents to needed social services and encourages the coordination of such programs.
• The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act: Authorized under ESSA, McKinney-Vento provides supports and protections for children experiencing homelessness. The act requires LEAs to coordinate with local social services agencies or other entities that serve this population of children and their families. It also mandates that students are able to stay in their original schools and requires schools to register students experiencing homelessness even if they lack required documents.
• TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families): This program assists families with children when parents or other responsible relatives cannot provide for basic needs. The federal government provides grants to states to run the TANF program and each state and territory decides eligibility criteria and benefits.

Beyond these federal funding streams, there are also sources of state, local, and private money to explore. These include:

• State K–12 funding formulas
• State pre-K program dollars
• State categorical programs
• Local property tax dollars
• Municipal partnerships and funding
• Local philanthropies and community organizations

Early Learning and Development

• Principles of Ideal Learning Environments, Trust for Learning
• Principles of Child Development and Learning and Implications that Inform Practice, NAEYC
• Return to Learn: Launching Instruction for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, Oklahoma State Department of Education
• What it Looks Like to Promote Young Children’s Growth and Discovery, New America

Attendance

• Leveraging Chronic Absence, Attendance Works

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

• ESSA Coordination Toolkit, Chief State School Officers/ National Head Start Association
• “ESSA Student Transition Resources—PreK to Kindergarten,” Connecticut State Department of Education and Connecticut Office of Early Childhood
• “Using Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Funds for Early Childhood,” Foresight Law+Policy, Center for the Study of Education Policy, EducationCounsel, Erikson Institute, and Start Early

ESSER Spending

• National, Regional Trends in Educators’ COVID-Relief Spending, FutureEd
• Flexible Funding for Children and Youth in the American Rescue Plan, Children’s Funding Project

Family Engagement

• Colorado Early Childhood Family Engagement Framework, Marzano Research
• Family-School-Community Partnerships, National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments
• Top Five Insights for Improving Family-School Collaboration during COVID and Beyond, Brookings
• Uncovering New Opportunities for Family Engagement during COVID-19, Phi Delta Kappan

Head Start

• “Transition to Kindergarten,” Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center. See also:
  • Get Ready for Kindergarten! Activity Calendar for Educators
  • Get Ready for Kindergarten! Activity Calendar for Families

Transitions Frameworks, Road Maps, and Toolkits from the States

• Supporting the Transition to Kindergarten in Nevada
• Nebraska Transition to Kindergarten Toolkit and Resource Guide
• Alabama Transition to Kindergarten Toolkit
• Transitions to Kindergarten in Colorado: A Roadmap
• Maine's Transitioning into Kindergarten—Professional Development Modules
• Mississippi Transition Toolkit for Families and Early Learning Providers
• South Carolina Pre-K to Kindergarten Transitions Plan: Family Engagement
• Kansas Kindergarten Transitions Toolkit

State Early Learning and Transition Policy and Strategies

• “50-State Comparison: State K–3 Policies,” Education Commission of the States
• “State Policies to Enhance Transitions into Kindergarten,” Education Commission of the States
• “Transitions and Alignment from Preschool to Kindergarten,” Education Commission of the States
• “Connecting the Steps: State Strategies to Ease the Transition from Pre-K to Kindergarten,” New America

District Focus Group Questions: Transition to Kindergarten

Questions for kindergarten teachers:

1. What does the transition into kindergarten look like at your school?
   a. How do you think students/families experience the transition to kindergarten?
2. What are the strengths of the current transitions process? What do you like most about the existing kindergarten transitions process?
3. What are some of the biggest challenges for you during the transitions process?
4. What support and resources may help alleviate those challenges?
   a. If you had more personnel/resources, how would you use it to help transition students and families to kindergarten?
5. What information about individual students do you currently receive (from families, providers, etc.) before their arrival to kindergarten?
   a. What information about individual students do you wish you had access to before the year begins?
6. What did you wish pre-K teachers and providers knew about transitions? What would be most helpful?
   a. If you had greater access to and/or structures in place to work with pre-K educators, what would you hope to gain?
7. What are the most important things you wish families knew about transitions to K?

Questions for pre-K teachers:

1. In what ways do you prepare your students and their families to transition to kindergarten?
2. What are the current challenges around transitions to kindergarten you are facing?
3. What are some opportunities for the district to help transition your students to K? Provide examples.
4. If you had greater access/structure to working with K educators, what would you hope to gain?
5. What are some opportunities for schools to help transition your students?
6. What do families tell you is most needed in the transitions process?
7. How can the district support your current efforts on the transition to K?

Questions specifically for community-based providers:

1. Do you currently have any relationships with district schools and/or principals and teachers?
   a. If so, how is this helpful? How could it be more supported?
2. If the district were to regularly communicate with community pre-K providers, in what way would be most accessible/easiest for you?

Questions for principals:

1. What kind of transitions activities are currently taking place at your school?
   a. Have your school-based events been helpful in transiting your students to K? If so, how? If not, do you have any insight as to why?
   b. What events are currently accessible for you to host?
2. What are current challenges in transitioning students into K?
3. If you had more personnel/resources, how would you use those to help transition students and families to kindergarten?
4. How can the district support you?
5. Have district-based events been helpful in transitioning your students to K? If so, how? If not, do you have any insight as to why?
6. What did you wish pre-K teachers and providers knew about transitions? What would be most helpful?
   a. If you had greater access to and/or structures in place to work with pre-K educators, what would you hope to gain?
7. What are the most important things you wish families knew about the transition to K?

Questions for parents/families of current kindergarteners:

1. What’s one word or phrase to describe your child’s transition to kindergarten?
2. What information did you receive from the school or district prior to the first week of school?
3. What information from the district would have been helpful?
4. What information from your school would have been helpful?
5. At what point throughout the transitions would this info/pieces of info have been most helpful?
6. What did your child’s pre-K teacher do to help with the transition to K? (if applicable)
7. What did your child’s K teacher do to help with the transition to K?
8. How would you have preferred to receive information on the transition to K? Websites, informational mailers social media, etc.?
9. What are you doing, as a parent, to help with the transition to K?

Questions for parents/families of rising kindergarteners:

1. What’s one word or phrase to describe how you’re feeling about your child’s transition to kindergarten?
2. What information have you received from the school or district prior to the first week of school/testing week?
3. What information from the district are you still looking for?
4. What information from your school are you still looking for?
5. At what point throughout the transition would information be most helpful?
6. What has your child’s pre-K teacher done to help with the transition to K? (if applicable)
7. What could your child’s K teacher do to help with the transition to K?
8. How would you have preferred to receive information on the transition to K? Websites, informational mailers social media, etc.?
9. What are you doing, as a parent, to help with the transition to K?

Transition to Kindergarten: Self-Assessment Template for Systems Leaders and/or Planning Teams

Considerations for effective transitions planning:

Identifying a transitions self-assessment tool and taking stock of current transitions activities at the state and local levels is an important first step in planning. In creating this tool, we used the self-assessment tools from New York, Massachusetts, and Illinois as models. It is designed to be used by both state and district offices to understand the work districts and schools have done to improve transitions. Results from this self-assessment will show current efforts as well as areas where more work is needed. Assessment should include listening to families, prioritizing children and families who are furthest from opportunity, and tailoring investments to address their needs. Planning should include continuously checking to ensure that those farthest from opportunity are a focus of policy considerations and everyday practices.

Transitions Vision Six-Month Work Plan: XX Month–XX Month

The purpose of this work plan is to create a path for transitions teams to assess their current transitions policies, create plans for improvement, and evaluate how the new plans are working throughout the course of the year and in the years after implementation. Effective transitions plans center around (1) alignment, coordination, and collaboration; (2) transitions planning and direct support; (3) guidance, evaluation, and resources. Planning should be a year-long, continuous process.